


Burned (A Gallagher Girls Fanfic)

by bandanxietyy



Category: Gallagher Girls Series - Ally Carter
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Missing in Action, Mystery, Next Generation, Spies & Secret Agents, Suspense, gallagher girl series, gallagher girls next gen, gallagher girls series references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:14:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25290733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bandanxietyy/pseuds/bandanxietyy
Summary: Madison Goode is a multi-generational spy (in training) at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. She has been training to follow in her parent's footsteps and enter the covert world since she could walk. Going to the Gallagher Academy is a dream come true, despite her dad's protests.Maddie knows that she wants to be in the field just like her parents and grandparents. It's something that she has dreamed about. It's something that she has to do.But, her life at the Gallagher Academy has just been turned upside down. Her dad is missing, and the adults are in on it but, of course, her and her friends are left in the dark. Maddie knows how this ends and she doesn't want history to repeat itself.But who will listen to a spy in training?
Relationships: Abigail Cameron/Edward Townsend, Macey McHenry/Preston Winters, Rachel Morgan/Joseph "Joe" Solomon, Zachary Goode/Cameron Morgan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	1. Chapter One

Being a teenager is hard. Living in general can be a challenge because many people don’t get the opportunity to see tomorrow. My mom always says that its okay for a girl my age to feel invisible because where I go to school, that’s considered cool.

The first day of school is usually a teenage rite of passage. There’s the essence of everything _new._ New teachers, new classes, new rooms, new students. It’s different and sometimes it’s terrifying. I’d seen enough teen rom coms to know that the first day of school was usually a disaster. There are the newbies and there are the seniors (and of course the grades in between). The girls that know their way around the school like the back of their hands and then the ones that get lost leaving their rooms. I’m one of the formers.

My name is Madison Leigh Goode and I am a third generation Gallagher Girl. Let me tell you, that has some weight to it (some _serious_ weight!) If you’re reading this that means you have at least a level three clearance and were probably a Gallagher Girl yourself. Which also means you know my mother.

My mom was known for a lot of things---mainly outrunning an ancient terrorist group known as the Circle of Cavan. During the early stages of that mission, she met my dad. I know, they are _the_ power couple. The Goode dream team.

My dad didn’t want me to come to the Academy but after years of begging, he finally caved. I know his reasons on not wanting me to go. I know he doesn’t want me to live my life checking my tail—a feat that my mom spent most of her Junior year doing. I know he wants me safe.

But he doesn’t understand that espionage is in my blood. Its who I am. I was literally _born_ into this. But, being daddy’s little girl… I shook that thought away quickly.

I am starting my sophomore year at the Gallagher Academy but, I know more about this school than most. My mom had a knack for finding all the hidden passageways that Gilly herself had used once upon a time and she passed that knowledge onto me. I knew the shortcuts to class and the best access to the library. I knew how to get inside the kitchen and the best ways to get to our suites. (And my personal favorite… the one to Grandma Rachel’s office… there is a bag of peanut m&m’s in the top drawer of her desk, in case you were wondering) My mom’s codename wasn’t the Chameleon by coincidence.

“Hey! Goode!”

I look up from my spot on the window seat and see someone wandering quickly in my direction. It was easy to pick out who the voice had belonged to as her long legs swung into view.

Charlie Anderson has brown hair that sticks out at odd angles in a pixie cut. She has a strong jawline that is always clenched like she’s grinding her teeth down, and her brown eyes are always narrowed as if she knows you’re telling a lie before you _actually_ tell one. Her dad went to school with mine, though we both don’t have that kind of clearance yet. And that’s probably why she’s my best friend.

I’ve met her dad once on the first day of eighth grade… whereas she runs into my dad often. Or as often as you can when your father does field work. The thought sends a shiver down my spine and I try to shake it away. I had had a knot in my stomach since that morning and I was chalking it up to being hungry. That was all it was.

“Why are you here so early?” Charlie asks, her messenger bag swinging around her hips as she stares me down.

“I’m always here early, Anderson.” I say automatically. And it was true. I always showed up at least a week before everyone else, per my mom’s request after spending the summer in Nebraska at great grandpa Morgan’s farm. “Remember?”

She rolls her eyes. “And you’re usually holed up in the suite by now trying to avoid everyone else. What gives?”

That was also true. If my last name didn’t give me away, my shyness definitely would. I hated the attention everyone gave me for being Cameron Morgan’s daughter. I hated the looks I got and the whispers that followed me no matter how hard I tried to escape them. I knew I was legendary but that didn’t mean I was good enough to live up to my family name. And living up to Matthew Morgan, Cameron Morgan, _and_ Zachary Goode? It felt impossible.

“Dad’s on a mission.” I said.

And that was it. It was out in the air. It was out there, and I couldn’t take it back.

Charlie nods in understanding. Both of her parents were field operatives as well. Her dad was part of the MI6 with my Aunt Bex and her mom worked as a secret service agent. She knew what it was like when your parent’s left on missions. The fear of them never coming home. The fear of them coming home injured. The fear of the unknown. I knew it was part of the job description and I was signing up for it.

But that didn’t make it any easier.

“Have you talked to your mom?” Charlie sat next to me then, squeezing onto the window seat beside me.

“No. She talked to Grandma Rachel but, that’s it. She said she’d call when she could. No details.” I moved over so that she had more space and she nodded.

“Hey. No news is good news.”

Charlie was right. Spies went radio silent all the time. It was probably nothing. He was probably getting close to his goal and just couldn’t check in. That meant he was coming home soon. He was probably already on his way and wanted to surprise me at school. He’s done that once before on my birthday, surprising me in the kitchen with a special Crème Brulée from Chef Louis. But, what if—No. He was fine. Dad was fine.

I stared out the window and watched as the long line of limo’s started pulling into the drive. My sisters were coming home while my dad could be missing. I was going to listen to the girls fill the hallways, talking about their summers and their families—talking about the unauthorized mini missions they had encountered since the last time I’d seen them. I was going to go from being an only child to being one of hundred’s in only a matter of minutes.

And things were going to be normal.

They had to be normal.

***

My mom always said that the welcome back dinner was her favorite part of coming back to the Academy. She enjoyed the food and the chatter of the girls around her and the feeling of her sisterhood. I knew how she felt because I felt the same way.

The girls around me were my family. While we weren’t blood, these girls were mine. I would take a bullet for any of them and I knew without a doubt, they would do the same for me.

The voices around me were loud and I knew without looking up at the screen on the wall, that we would be speaking in English for the welcome back dinner. The conversations in Swahili and Farsi weren’t taking place for another few weeks as we each got back into the hang of speaking with each other. (I had to make a mental note to practice my German more in the next month)

Kate Porter squeezes onto the bench across from me, two giant books propped in front of her face, one in each hand. I lean in closer to get a look at the covers and roll my eyes. Only Kate would read about dismantling heavy machinery _and_ the basics of disguise at the same time. I knew she was practically memorizing everything she was reading and yet she didn’t look stressed at all. (Perks of having a photographic memory I guess)

“Some light reading, eh?” Charlie asks, sitting next to me.

“Yes. Now don’t bother me,” Kate says automatically, never looking up from her books, “please.”

Charlie shrugs and takes a bite of some fruit before nudging me with her shoulder. I knew what that was for, but I didn’t nudge back. I knew she was worried about me and I also knew that she just wanted to help me feel better. But my mind was wandering, and my stomach was turning. I wasn’t hungry.

Suddenly, the doors at the back of the room swing open and every girl in the dining hall stops eating. I don’t bother looking up. Everyone watches as each of our teachers walk in, making their way to the head of the room and to their tables. Forks drop, conversations stop, and the air is thick.

I do manage to look up though and see Grandma Rachel give me a look. She doesn’t smile. She doesn’t wink. But, there’s something about that look that makes my heart thunder inside my chest. She knows something. And I know that she won’t tell me.

I watch as she takes a stand behind the podium once the faculty has taken their seats, and I swear everyone around me has stopped breathing. Rachel Morgan is a legend just like my mother. She is also the strongest woman ever. Or so the stories say. (At least the one’s I’m allowed to hear)

“Women of the Gallagher Academy, who comes here?” She asks in a clear and confident voice. Anyone who didn’t know her knew that she was fine. But I didn’t miss the slight quiver of her voice when she spoke.

We all stood, every one of us, and said in unison, “We are the sisters of Gillian.”

“Why do you come?” She asked.

“To learn her skills. Honor her sword. And keep her secrets.”

“To what end do you work?”

“To the cause of justice and light.”

“How long will you strive?”

“For all the days of our lives,”

We finished, our voices ringing out through the dining hall. I watched as my grandmother finally smiled and we each took our seats back on the benches. I didn’t know how she did it but, she looked so powerful up there, like a queen addressing a kingdom. She always looked so confident and more than once, I got the feeling that she was who I wanted to be like when I left Gallagher. And this time wasn’t any different.

“Welcome back, sisters. I hope you all had an excellent break. I am so glad each of you are back here, safe and sound.” Her eyes rake over the crowd of girls. “I know that for some, this is an adjustment and for others, this is just another school year. But I assure you that this will be anything but.” She let her words linger in the air. “As we go through this year, I ask that everyone stick to their schedules. No unauthorized field trips off the grounds unless otherwise specifically stated by myself or one of our faculty members. I also would like to give a warm welcome to not one but, _two_ special members of the Gallagher Academy faculty. Please---” Before she could continue, the doors at the back of the room swung open and all heads turn.

Gliding through the doors as if they own the room, two men walk down the middle of the dining hall. I stare, my mouth dropping open. They were supposed to be gone on missions or at least… busy. The two men looked like they hadn’t aged since I had last seen them before summer but, somehow, they still seemed different. The girls around me gasped.

Charlie nudges me. “Isn’t that…” She gapes at them, unable to finish.

“No way! Are you serious? You didn’t say anything! Why didn’t you tell me! That’s what---” Before Kate could finish, I shushed her.

“Please welcome, Agent Edward Townsend and Professor Joseph Solomon back to the Gallagher Academy.”

I felt dizzy.

Because Grandpa Joe was supposed to be on a mission with my dad. And if he was back…

Why wasn’t my dad?

***

I don’t remember what I ate at the welcome back dinner. I don’t remember what Kate and Charlie rambled on about. I don’t even remember making it back to my suite.

We have four roommates that manage to sleep in our room. Our fourth roommate, Willow Evans, showed up in the middle of dinner, her red hair wild and staticky. (A byproduct of trying to help Fibs with his static electricity formula that is still in its prototype phase) Thankfully, she didn’t miss much.

I didn’t want to talk about it. (But I had to) I didn’t want to talk about missions or my mom or how awesome it was that Grandpa Joe and Uncle Townsend were teaching this semester. (But it was) I didn’t want to talk about anything. (But I did) I just wanted to sleep. (And I couldn’t)

“You really didn’t know that they were going to be teaching this year?” Kate asked me for what felt like the millionth time. (it was only the sixth though… I was counting)

“In case you forgot, I don’t get told anything.” I sigh, going to the bathroom that we share. At least if I acted like things were okay, they might start to turn up.

Charlie spoke then. “So, we know that your dad and Solomon were on a mission together. We also know that you’ve been in Nebraska the last few months while your mom was working with the agency.” She said, starting to pace between the beds.

I wet my toothbrush and put it in my mouth, brushing my teeth vigorously while they spoke. I was listening as best as I could but, my mind was wandering.

My dad wouldn’t just not check in. He always made sure that me or my mom knew where he was whether it be through our dead letter drop or through an encrypted email of some sort. But, like Charlie said, radio silence wasn’t always a bad thing. Even in the spy world.

“Maybe Solomon came back early to teach. Who better to teach Cove Ops than him? He taught your mom everything she knows. Well, aside from her dad. But Solomon is one of the best agents ever.” Charlie continued.

I wandered out of the bathroom and plopped down on my bed by the window. “I’m not mad that Solomon is back and teaching. Plus, him and Uncle Townsend are… legends. They know what their doing. But, why isn’t he with my dad? A spy is only as good as their backup.” I remind them.

“But solo missions aren’t unheard of. He’s probably fine, Maddie.” Kate reassured me.

She said it so convincingly that I wanted to believe her. But, this feeling in my stomach wasn’t easing up. My grandma Rachel knew something. My mom was too busy to check in and if she was worried, no doubt she’d be putting all her energy into my dad. Not that she—or anyone for that matter—would tell me, even though I wanted them to. And just because Grandpa Joe was back, didn’t mean anything was wrong.

Missions are dangerous. Spies go radio silent. Spies go missing.

And some spies don’t come home.


	2. Chapter Two

My internal alarm clock said that it was just past two in the morning. I should be going back to sleep but, every muscle in my body was awake. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to fight this. Once I was awake, there was no use in trying to fall back asleep. 

Slipping out of bed, I did the next best thing. I wandered out of our suite as quietly as I could and ventured out into the hall. Usually, students aren’t supposed to sneak around the mansion after hours. If you had to work on assignments, you usually did so in your room or in the library but, nobody wandered. 

I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, and I honestly didn’t care. I was too awake as my mind turned around a million miles an hour. Sleep was pointless.

Dad used to make me some tea when I couldn’t sleep. He was usually awake and would hear me venture down the hall of our tiny apartment. Even without slippers and being as quiet as I possibly could be, he could always tell when I was awake---ever since I was little. And I knew about the nightmares even though him and mom tried to hide them. I knew why he was awake most nights. But, those middle of the night talks were my favorite. 

I spend most of my time here at school, except for summers at the Nebraska ranch. The one-bedroom apartment was where I grew up though, not at Gallagher. Mom and dad were never wealthy but, we weren’t poor. The apartment was home—one bathroom, living room, bedroom, and a kitchen. Mom and dad shared the bedroom while I slept on the futon in the living room. (The single bathroom was the only problem but, we managed)

That was how it always went. We managed no matter what. Together.

The P&E barn was chilly, and I wished I had brought a jacket but, I couldn’t bring myself to care that much. The doors creaked as I opened them, wandering inside. The cool Virginia air swirled some of the hay around, making me sneeze. (Hay fever is the worst, by the way)

Sitting down on a bale of hay, my thoughts finally got the best of me. I curled my knees to my chest and rest my chin on top. Classes were starting in a matter of hours and I had no desire to learn. (Let alone sleep) I usually looked forward to them, especially seeing Aunt Liz in the labs with Dr. Fibs. I loved Madame Dabney’s lectures and COW was a blast with Mr. Smith. I was excited to learn. I wanted this. I wanted to be the best operative there was… I wanted to live up to my famous name.  


Madison Goode. Goode. The weight that my name held was powerful. I had so many legendary people around me. 

My parents of course. My grandparents, dead and alive. Not to mention, my aunts and uncles. Townsend and Aunt Bex. Even Aunt Liz. And Macey and Preston, both of whom had political ties that ran deep. Which also included my great aunt Abby. I had this wonderful family that most would only dream of having, yet… I felt like I was the odd one out. 

I couldn’t be who they wanted me to be. I couldn’t live up to my name. I couldn’t be this great spy that everyone wanted me to be. I couldn’t. No matter how much I tried. I also felt like I was cracking under all the pressure.

And dad…

Dad knows my potential. He knows what I’m capable of. Yet, he pushes me harder than anyone else. And I couldn’t let him down.

The doors to the barn slowly creaked open, making me nearly jump out of my skin. I looked up and made eye contact with Charlie. She came in without a word and took a seat on the haybale. She was still in her pajamas, boy shorts and an extra-large tee that was her dad’s. Her dark hair was sticking out every which way, the aftermath of a fitful sleep. And her feet were bare.

“Headmistress Morgan said that we weren’t supposed to sneak out,” She says pointedly, picking out a piece of hay and sticking it in between her teeth.

“I’m still on campus.” I shrugged. “I’m not breaking any rules.”

“But you aren’t in bed. Ergo, you are breaking the rules.”

I sighed. Charlie was one of my best friends. She knew me better than anyone and she always knew what to say, even when I didn’t want to hear it. She was one of the best spies I knew. She would never lie to me either.

Charlie understood. But her dad had never missed a call in. He was always there when he said he’d be. He always called. He always checked in. Every. Single. Time. And, not to be biased, but my dad was a way better spy than hers. And he knew what he was doing.  


A spark of anger ran through me. Whatever my dad was off doing, this was his fault. He was missing and that thought was making me mad.

“Its one call in! How could you just miss it? Doesn’t he know that we would be worried?” I burst, unable to keep it in. “How can he make us worry like this? What is the matter with him?” 

Charlie stays quiet for a moment, letting me fume before saying, “Mads… You know as well as I do that your dad would never willingly stay away from you.” She says gently.

I shook my head. Of course, he would never stay away from me. I was his only daughter. I was his only kid. And he absolutely loved my mother. And while that thought was meant to comfort me, it made my stomach heave. I felt like I was going to be sick.  


My dad had to be okay. He had to be. This was all going to blow over and he was going to walk through the doors of the mansion with his signature smirk and say, “gotcha!” 

Right?

I followed Charlie out of the barn, my thoughts distracting me. I wouldn’t let this consume me. I couldn’t. I was going to class. I was going to study. I was going to get straight A’s. And I was going to leave the spying to the grown-ups. Because what else could I do?

I didn’t mention my dad to anyone else. I didn’t bring up my mom. I didn’t answer when Professor Buckingham asked about my mom and how she was. I managed a smile when Mr. Moskowitz called me Cammie instead of Maddie. And I somehow managed to keep my lunch down.  


I was going to hold this together. I was strong. I had to be. And I was strong all the way through lunch. And I was strong all the way down the hallway. And I was strong standing in front of the full-length glass mirror that would scan our retinal images. (Confirming that we weren’t underclassmen trying to sneak into unauthorized places) And I was strong when a green light in the eyes of the painting behind us flashed to life. 

As I watched the long mirror slide aside with my three best friends next to me, my stomach was twisting itself into a ball. 

“Hey, guys?” Willow says, breaking the silence.

We each turn to look at her and there’s an excited glint in her eyes. Her lips part into a smile as she meets each of our eyes in turn. Kate opened her mouth to tell Willow to spit it out when an electronic voice cut her off.

“Welcome to Sublevel One.” 

And Kate grins. “We’re in.”  
***  
Mom always said that the sublevels were a maze. Tons of passageways branched off down here and each one held thousands of covert secrets. You had to be careful or else you could get seriously lost and the chances of someone finding you within three days was slim to none. (It had happened once, my eighth-grade year, by the way… not to me! I don’t get lost easily, yeesh!)

The sublevels were restricted and limited access only. There was a time when my mom was graduating, that the sublevels had almost been destroyed. They had to rebuild the school from the ground up. It took months of dedication to get it up and running but, they did it. And surprisingly enough, the sublevels were almost untouched. 

I led the way down the hallway and turned into the first classroom there. And we took our seats. And we waited.

None of the girls in my sophomore class uttered a word. We sat perfectly still. We didn’t have to look at our synchronized watches to confirm what we already knew. Because the empty seat in front of us was a dead giveaway.

I counted. I didn’t know what else to do. Nobody at the Gallagher Academy was ever late. And the fact that we technically didn’t have a teacher at the moment, was even stranger. 

And then the door opened.

And in walked Grandpa Joe. 

Approximately fifteen minutes and thirty-two seconds late. 

On the dot.

“The capital of Russia is what?” He asked without missing a beat. I saw Kate glance at me from the corner of my eye but, I knew better than to turn to talk to her. 

“Moscow.” We said in unison.

“What is the current population of Uzbekistan?” He fired at us.

“33.47 million.”

“How many protons and electrons are present in a carbon atom?”

“Six protons and six electrons,” Of course Kate was the one who answered. 

Grandpa Joe takes a seat at the front of the class, leaning against the large wooden desk. He folds his arms in front of his chest and stares at us. His shirt is perfectly ironed, and his peppered hair is slicked back on top of his head. He has a bit of a shadow, stubble upon his cheek but, his eyes are what draw me in. 

“Who can tell me whether I am right-handed or left-handed?” He asks.

We had just gotten into the groove of our trivia game, so this question threw us for a loop. Nobody answered.

“I threw something away when I walked into this classroom, what was it?” He eyed us, waiting for someone to speak up.

“I was injured once, who can tell me which side of my body I favor more?” He demanded.

Again, nobody dared to speak.

Grandpa Joe shook his head. I knew that look. I had seen it several times at the dinner table when mom or dad said something he didn’t like. I’d seen that look when I told him I hadn’t read Advanced Surveillance in the seventh grade. The look of disappointment.  


“I understand that the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is for geniuses. And I know without a doubt that they do not admit fools. But here I am… And while you girls might be geniuses… You’re also pretty stupid.”

I stared at my grandfather and watched as he shook his head. He hadn’t moved from his spot on the desk but, from the looks of it, he wanted to run as far away as possible. And I knew the feeling. But I didn’t run. I sat there and I stared him down.  


He met my gaze and I watched as his expression softened the tiniest bit. It looked like he might say something but, he thought better of it at the last moment. Whatever he wanted to say to me had to wait. In this classroom, I wasn’t his granddaughter. I was simply another student. 

We were all silent as we watched him, waiting for our lecture to begin. But it never did. Without another word, Grandpa Joe stood up. He didn’t say goodbye. He didn’t say that he was done with whatever lesson plan that was supposed to be. He simply walked towards the door.

“Ladies, in this field of work, you need to be good. And in order to be good, there is one rule you have to follow.”

We leaned forward in our seats. We hung on his every word. This was what we had been waiting for. Not only were we preparing for a possible life in the field but, we were listening and learning from Joseph Solomon himself. My grandfather.

“Notice things.”

And with that he walked out---his shoes sounding against the stone floor nearly silent---dismissing us without a word.

Each of us sat there for a moment, digesting what he said. Some had pulled out notebooks, their pens hovering in the air, never moving. Others had been leaning forward in their chairs, gripping their desks hard enough that their knuckles were white. And then there was me. I was staring at the place where my grandfather had been moments before and there was only one thought in my head.

I knew my grandfather could be eccentric but, he was family. And he was one of the best spies I’d ever learned about, let alone, known. He had helped my parents on more than one occasion, and he had always been there for me whenever I needed him. He lived up to his codename—he really was wise. 

I had heard my mother tell me this phrase more than once and I wondered if he had shared this with her when she came here. It was getting passed through generations but, it was probably the oldest piece of advice ever. Which made it the most important. 

So, I took what he said to heart—as if he had shared this piece of advice with me one-on-one in our apartment with mom and dad. 

I was going to notice things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it! I'm really excited for this story!


	3. Chapter Three

Number of times my friends asked me if I was okay: 27

Number of looks my grandma gave me at dinner over the next week: 8

Number of calls I got from my mom: 0

Number of calls I got from my dad: 0

Number of times anyone gave me even an idea of what was going on: again, 0.

The next week went by in a blur. I played catch up with my homework assignments and even practiced my sparring in the P&E barn. I ate when I was supposed to, and I tried not to worry. (Which of course was easier said than done)

But by the end of the week, I was restless. Cove Ops lessons with Grandpa Joe weren’t even distracting enough. And I knew that everyone around me could tell. But I had to pretend. 

On Friday, the day started like any other. I woke up, ate breakfast in the grand hall, and went to my classes. 

And then we filed into the elevator to the sublevels. Just like we had done for the past week, going to see Grandpa Joe.

And he was late again.

We waited. 

And then the door swung open and in walked Grandpa Joe. And Grandma Rachel. And Uncle Townsend.

“Madison. Please come meet me in my office.” Grandma Rachel said without further discussion.

I snuck a glance at my friends and I slowly stood up. I felt my legs go numb and I couldn’t be sure I was actually moving. A million and one thoughts wanted to race through my head but, there was only one that mattered.

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the stares that followed us (mainly me) out the door. They didn’t say another word as Professor Buckingham entered to take over for Grandpa Joe. A sweat threatened to break out on my forehead.  
We walked silently to the office and Grandma Rachel closed the door behind us. Grandpa Joe stood by the door, as she took a seat at her desk. Uncle Townsend remained standing.

“Take a seat, Madison.” She said and I did as I was told. 

“Where’s dad?” I blurted, unable to hold it in any longer.

Uncle Townsend stared at the floor and I swear Grandpa Joe flinched. I held my breath, trying to prepare myself for the worst. This was bad. 

“Madison… I know how you must be feeling and I know---” I cut her off and jumped to my feet, almost knocking my chair to the floor in my haste.

“No, you don’t!” I snapped. “Did you get a call in? Has mom told you anything?” I asked quickly. “You don’t know anything about how I’m feeling! You do—"

Grandpa Joe cut me off harshly. “Miss Goode, I would advise you not to finish that sentence.”

I glared at him before turning to my grandmother and I saw her staring at me sadly before she glanced at a photo on her desk with two men in plain black t-shirts laughing at a joke that has long since stopped being funny. And that was when I knew I slipped. Of course, she knew. She knew what this was like. Because of Grandpa Matt. 

I was officially the worst granddaughter ever.

She took a deep breath before continuing. “We have news. Your mother is coming home, and she would like you to continue your studies with her.” 

That took my off guard. I stared at her. Train with my mom? But that would mean dropping out… “I beg your pardon?” 

“She thinks it would be… more beneficial for you. You can continue the school year once your father comes home, Madison. Nobody would blame you.” 

I’d never heard of anyone continuing at home. I’d never heard of dropping out. That wasn’t something that happened at Gallagher. I knew about Macey, my mom’s best friend, who had thought at some point that this wasn’t what she wanted. But she had a habit of running away. Like my mom. Yet, they always came back. And I wasn’t running.

And then it clicked.

“This is because of dad.”

My grandmother is a great spy and I know that she wants to protect me as much as my parents. But I can’t agree with her if I don’t know what she’s protecting me from. I knew my words had hit their mark. 

“Your father is a wonderful operative. He is going to be just fine, sweetheart.” She says gently. And I wanted to believe her. “And he wouldn’t want you to continue your studies if your heart isn’t in it or if your mind is elsewhere. And your mother thinks that it would be better to be together… just in case.” 

I physically flinched. Those words made me sick.

Grandpa Joe decided to offer is input then. “I know your father. And trust me when I say that he is going to be just fine, Maddie.” He says once more. 

And then they dismiss me as if I just got done going over the basic principles of tailing. As if everything is just fine. As if my father isn’t missing.

I went back to class and copied my notes from Willow. I didn’t think I missed very much but, by the time I sat down, my classmates and I were already being dismissed. I was in a daze, following them back to our room. I was thankful when they didn’t ask any questions. 

I changed out of my school uniform, trading my hand-me-down plaid skirt for sweats; my white blouse (with a stain of marinara sauce on the front) for that ratty shirt of my dad’s. And for a split second, I could practically feel one of his hugs around me. 

I was homesick. The prospect of my dad missing was sending me spiraling. Sitting here, waiting for the unknown, was excruciating. Someone knew something. Someone always knows something. 

Standing in the bathroom that we share; I brushed my teeth and pulled my brown hair back into a low ponytail. I stared at myself. I wasn’t very average looking but, really the only thing people remembered about me were my eyes—green, like my dad’s.

I had seen pictures of my mom growing up and she was beautiful but in a very average way. Everything about her was unremarkable, which she used to her advantage as a pavement artist. I wanted nothing more than to make her proud. And I couldn’t help feeling like I was letting her down because I was here… doing nothing. 

Maybe my grandma was right. 

Maybe it would help if I went home and took a semester off. Girls before me had done that, hadn’t they? 

I know Macey had done it. And I know she was one of my mom’s closest friends. I know other girls had skipped semesters to go back home or dropped out of the academy because it was too much for them. They just couldn’t handle the life of being an operative. I mean, who could blame them? But that wasn’t me. I could handle this. I had to. This was in my blood. 

I shook my head and sat down on my bed. I wasn’t going to drop out. I wasn’t a quitter.

My dad always said that I was a fighter. He said I was stubborn—a trait that I got from my mother. I was a third generation Gallagher Girl for crying out loud! Of course I was a fighter!

Kate couldn’t handle my silence anymore and practically burst. “What did they want?”

I looked down at my tattered blanket and shrugged. “They wanted to know if I should drop out.” 

That was the absolute wrong thing to say even though it was true. The girls started talking over themselves. Kate couldn’t fathom that I would just drop out at the start of our sophomore year. Willow thought it was a bad idea in general, not to mention that we had just started CoveOps. Charlie had never heard of anything so ridiculous (and threatened to put her foot where the sun don’t shine). 

“Guys! I’m not dropping out!” I shouted, trying to break through their hysteria.

“Good. Because I was about to go down there and kick headmistress Morgan-Solomon straight in—” Charlie started, and I cut her off.

“Nobody is kicking anyone in or out.” I reminded them. “I’m staying, I swear. She can’t make me go anywhere. Not without my mom here.” 

And it was true. While my grandma was the headmistress, she couldn’t kick me out because I had no place to go. And sending me back to the ranch would only cause unnecessary complications. Not to mention, it could complicate my dad’s mission, couldn’t it?

I put my head in my hands. I felt useless. I wanted to do something. If they sent me back to the ranch, I couldn’t do anything at all. I had no access to databases or comms or files (and don’t even get me started on grandma and grandpa’s dial up!) At least here I could get updates, no matter how small and insignificant they seemed.

“What if we could help?” 

I looked up and saw Willow staring at Kate’s laptop like she just won the lottery. I had a feeling that this wasn’t going to end well. This had ‘bad idea’ written all over it. I eyed her suspiciously.

“Your mom did this kind of stuff all the time, didn’t she?” Willow asked. “Hacked into mission files and databases while she was here?” 

I bit my lip. She did. That was part of why she was legendary. She wasn’t afraid to break the rules, even with her mom as the headmistress. 

“She did but---”

“We could totally take a page out of her book.” Willow hinted. “It would just be a quick look around your grandma’s office---”

“No!” I yelped. “Absolutely not! She’s already threatening to ship me back home—imagine what she’d do if we were caught—If I was caught.” I shook my head, appalled at the thought.

“You don’t even have to do anything, Mads. You just have to get in there long enough to keep her talking and set up a couple bugs, maybe a camera or two. You can do it on Sunday!” Kate piped in. 

I stared at them like they were crazy. They wanted me to bug my grandmother’s office. On Sunday. With my grandfather there. And my uncle. 

This wasn’t even a mission.

This was a death sentence.

“Your mother has to check in at some point, right? If they aren’t telling you something, you’re going to find out what it is.” Kate stated matter-of-fact. “Just think of it as a recon.”

I stared at my three best friends in the entire world and shook my head. 

I was so going to be grounded for this.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary of Surveillance Operatives: Madison Goode, Charlotte Anderson, Kaitlyn Porter, Willow Evans (Hereafter known as “The Operatives”)**

**Central Intelligence Agent Zachary Goode has gone radio silent after departing on a mission to Moscow, Russia, on covert business. His daughter, Operative Goode is worried that the members of the Morgan-Goode-Solomon family and extended family, are keeping important information from the Operative on his whereabouts.**

**The Operatives decide to take a page out of Operative Cameron Morgan-Goode’s handbook of school rule-breaking-for-a-greater-purpose and execute a reconnaissance mission of their own (as well as snag a handful of skittles from Headmistress Morgan-Solomon’s desk if she can because Operative Goode’s stomach had begun to growl from a lack of breakfast)**

**Operative Porter suggested a recon mission against Operative Goode’s protests. Headmistress Rachel Morgan-Solomon, Former CIA Agent/Professor Joseph Solomon, and Agent Edward Townsend (Henceforth known as “The Subjects”) are known to have clandestine meetings (and to keep important information from The Operatives)**

**The Operatives are tired of this trend and are going to do something about it (the use of a specially designed audio transmitter, digital photography, and distraction via Operative Madison Goode will be in effect on Sunday at 1800)**

Sunday came faster than I had hoped. That was how it always happened. When you were dreading something, it came quickly and when you were looking forward to something, it dragged on. And I was not looking forward to Sunday. 

Sunday meant dinner with my grandmother, grandfather, and uncle. It was also the day of our recon mission. The one I was stupid enough to be talked into being apart of. 

I was so going to regret this, and we weren’t even close to doing anything dangerous yet. (Just something that was frowned upon, even at spy school) 

Even the classes that I looked forward to, did nothing in hopes of distracting me. Not even when Madame Dabney taught me how to properly set a table and how to use each utensil as a proper weapon. Not when Aunt Liz accidentally set Dr. Fibs on fire when testing the prototype for his flame-resistant jacket. And not even on the way to Covert Operations. 

I sat down in my seat and watched as the rest of the sophomore class slowly filed in. Grandpa Solomon was nowhere to be seen but, that was to be expected now. (He had a flare for the dramatics) 

Suddenly the lights went out and a light from the back of the room slowly flickered to life---bringing to light an old school projector.

“One of the most important parts of this life is finding out who you can trust. Determining who is friend or foe. Is the woman with her two kids at the park an ally? Or is she only a liability?” Grandpa talked slowly but fiercely, as if this was one of the most important lessons we would learn. 

“Knowing your team and back up is just as important as knowing what your mission is.” 

An image lit up the screen and I stared in awe at the photo in front of me. A girl that looked just like me and yet nothing at all like me at the same time, was seen standing in line to get a hot dog. If I hadn’t seen pictures of her my entire life, I wouldn’t have paid attention to her. There was a click as the slide changed. A tiny blond girl—who we usually see teaching with Dr. Fibbs in the labs---was seen peeking out behind a tree (which was bad form but, nobody commented on it). Another click. A girl that looked every bit as beautiful as the woman I had seen every holiday for the past fifteen years, was checking over her shoulder as she crossed the street. 

I knew this. 

“The coke bottle.” 

I wasn’t sure anybody had heard me say anything until Grandpa Joe turned to stare at me. “What was that, Miss Goode?” 

I looked away from the screen and towards my grandfather. I had heard the story of my mother’s first mission. But, only the basics. She was assigned to get a coke bottle. I thought it was ridiculous when she told me but, she said it was something that changed her life. 

“You sent them out to find out what a faculty member was drinking, and she came back with a coke bottle. Right?” I didn’t need to specify who she was. I also wasn’t sure why I questioned it. I could see in his eyes that I was right. 

Grandpa Joe didn’t reply. He pressed a button on a remote I hadn’t realized he was holding, and the projector shut down. The lights flickered to life and he silently made his way to the front of the classroom. 

My grandfather knew what he was talking about. He had been through more than most (including my mother) and he knew what it was like out in the field. He had more experiences with the good and the ugly than anyone I knew. He told me stories when I asked but, only as I got older. And only when my dad would allow it. He took this job because of my mom. And I couldn’t help but wonder if he took it again because of me. 

“Ladies, in this life, if you haven’t figured out by now that some things are classified--- then you are in the wrong business.” Grandpa said. “You may leave now.” 

The rest of my classmates stood to grab their bags and leave but I stayed sitting. My friends lingered in the doorway, wondering if they should wait but, I shook my head. They left without another word. 

Grandpa Joe flicked on the light, making me squint. He walked over to the old projector and powered it down. I watched as the photos of my mother and her best friends on their first mission, faded from my view. 

“I don’t know much about her first mission, y’know.” I said, leaning forward on the desk. 

I heard a low chuckle before he spoke. “Well, I suspect you wouldn’t because its classified, Madison.” 

“I know that.” I retorted. “But I know the jokes. And I know about Suzie. Or at least I know that Suzie means something to my mom. And that the coke bottle was how you knew that she was made for this.” I made a gesture around the room. 

Grandpa Joe paused at his desk and turned to look at me. I could see the wheels turning in his head. I knew he saw my mother when he looked at me. And I knew that my mom resembled her father, which I assumed was always a punch to the gut. I knew that Grandpa Joe had a soft spot for my mother and that he would do anything for me. 

“My job as your grandfather is to watch you grow up and to protect you. My job as your teacher is to prepare you for the world outside these walls. If it were up to me—and I know your dad feels the same—I would not let you take this course next semester. The world out there is not kind, Madison. It is dangerous and it is terrifying.” He moved to sit on top of the desk beside mine and stared into my eyes. “There are things that your parents went through that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Things that neither of them should have survived. There are things that I went through… Things your grandmother went through. They shaped us into the people that we are today.” I saw him look down, pondering something. “There are things I cannot tell you. No matter how much I would like to, I can’t Madison. The sooner you realize that, the better off you will be.” 

“Things you can’t tell me,” I started, “or things you won’t?”   
***  
 **At 1730, Operative Goode was reminded by Operative Evans of the basic recon that was in session. And Operative Goode was not looking forward to it**

“Why do I need to do this again?” I asked for the fourth time as I changed out of my uniform. 

“Because you are the only one who can.” Kate reminded me again for the fourth time. 

I tied my hair back into its signature ponytail and slipped into a pair of jeans. I threw on a burgundy sweater and shook my head. I had a bad feeling about this. 

I tried to talk them out of it, I really did! But, once Charlie was set on something, nobody got in her way. I just had to remind myself that this was a basic recon and that I probably wasn’t going to find anything. And I tried not to think about what it would mean if I did. 

Shoving my hands in my pockets, I slipped out into the hall. (The pocket thing was easier said than done, considering I now wore a heavy charm bracelet that Willow had rigged to collect audio as well as a pen that I would later swap and leave in place of the bracelet) My shoes felt so loud on the floor as I walked. I hesitated outside of my grandmother’s door. I still had time to fake a stomachache but, my plan was cut short. 

“Come in!” 

I shook my head, wondering how my grandmother always knew I was at her door before I even knocked. I opened it and stepped inside. 

**At 1734 Operative Goode found out that the Subjects had opted for canned ravioli and the Operative was surprised to find that there was no smell of burning materials**

“How are you, sweetheart?” Grandma asked me as she pulled out bowls. I saw Grandpa Joe crinkle his nose at the questionable contents inside the plastic. 

“I’m fine.” I managed to say, looking around at the office as if I hadn’t seen it before. And then I noticed that someone was missing. “Where’s Uncle Townsend?” 

“He had paperwork to finish.” Grandpa said. And somehow, I knew as easily as I knew my name, that he was lying.

I sat down on the couch and took the bowl that my grandmother offered me, placing it on my lap. She sat beside me while my grandfather moved to sit on the arm beside her. I tried not to watch as he took her hand and gently squeezed it. And I didn’t look when he kissed her forehead. I speared a ravioli square and shoved it into my mouth. 

“How are classes going, sweetie?” Grandma asked. (As if she didn’t know or have records of my grades and transcripts) 

“They’re going fine.” I said. 

“And how are you liking Cove Ops?” She asked. I looked up and saw the two of them staring at me. I swallowed and looked back at my bowl of orange squares. This was definitely going to be harder than I thought. “You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to. You can skip this semester and---” 

I cut her off. “I like Cove Ops. Its going fine. I’m fine.” I reassured her, praying that my voice wouldn’t shake. “I promise.” 

Neither of them said anything and I knew they were hoping I would say I wanted to quit. Instead, they stared at their bowls. That was how I knew that something was up. And they definitely weren’t going to tell me. 

Grandpa cleared his throat and leaned down to kiss my grandmother’s head before turning to me. He kissed my cheek and put his bowl on the counter. He hadn’t touched his food. 

“Have you heard from mom?” I asked, standing up with my bowl in hand. I angled my wrist towards my grandmother, careful not to jostle it too much. 

She shook her head and took my bowl without another word. Something was up. She joined Grandpa Joe by the counter as I slowly moved closer to her desk. It was now or never. One bug. That was all I could manage. Slipping a black pen out of the other pocket of my jeans, I placed it in the container on her desk. 

Grandpa Joe looked up then and I did the only thing I could think of. I knocked the pens to the floor. “Oopsie daisy!” I exclaimed. 

Yeah. You read that right. When faced with something upsetting, I say oopsie daisy. (Product of being around my Aunt Liz during the school years)

I bent down to clean up the pens from the floor, putting them back in their container and on her desk. I shoved my hands in my pockets. 

“You remind me of your dad when you do that.” Grandpa Joe told me. I was about to ask him what he was talking about when he continued. “When your dad was nervous, uncomfortable, or trying to put other people at ease, he’d put his hands in his pockets. Whether he was at a formal event or on a mission. He’d slip his hands into his pockets. Every single time.” 

I didn’t miss that he used past tense when talking about my dad. But I felt a smile tug at my mouth. I looked down at my hands.

“It’s getting late.” Grandma said softly, coming up beside me. She kissed my head. “You need rest. We’ll see you in the morning, sweetheart.” 

Grandpa Joe kissed my cheek and I turned away, feeling guilty. I peeked behind me at the mess I had made. Grandpa Joe gave me a wink and I hurried out the door.

It took everything in me not to fling my arms around them and confess to doing something wrong like I used to do when I was younger. I knew that they would eventually forgive me if I told them what I had done. But, a part of me feared that once they found out, they would never look at me the same. And that was something I would not be able to bare. 

That knot was back in my stomach.

**Operative Goode felt like the worst granddaughter on the planet**


	5. Chapter Five

It took Kate and Willow approximately ten minutes to load the contents onto Kate’s computer. It took fifteen minutes for them to sort through the feed and then another five minutes to make it comprehendible. I wasn’t sure what we were going to find—if there was even anything _to_ find.

And yet, my stomach was churning at the possibilities. Were my grandparents lying? Was there something that I had missed? Was there something that the girls would find that I wouldn’t think to have looked for?

“We’re live!” Willow exclaimed, throwing her arms above her head in a sort of victory cheer.

I immediately hurried to Willow’s side, leaning towards the laptop, and tried to make sense of what I was looking at. Numbers and words---code to be exact. I turned my gaze to Kate and her smile turned into a smirk. “Like stealing candy from a baby,” She said before reaching over Willow, her fingers flying over the keys on the laptop before I heard my own voice spilling out of the speakers.

“I’m fine. Where’s uncle Townsend?” My voice sounded so loud. (And slightly distorted but, I knew better than to comment on Kate’s technology and Willow’s skills) 

“He had paperwork to finish.” Grandpa had said.

It went on. I listened to the conversation that I had had with two people I trusted as much as my parents, and it made my stomach hurt. I stared at the screen and listened to Kate’s fingers fly over the keys again. Nobody said anything. There really wasn’t anything _to_ say.

But then the conversation melted away as my grandparent’s had kissed me goodnight. And I had left without another word. I hadn’t thought about what would be said _after_ I left. But, as usual, my roommates were already several steps ahead of me.

“I don’t think we should---” I started to say, feeling guilty about listening in, but Charlie shushed me quickly.

“I think we should tell her, Joe.” Grandma Rachel said. There was some shifting and a soft clatter that echoed through the speakers, as if she were cleaning up after dinner. “She has a right to know.”

Grandpa spoke harshly. “Maddie _can’t_ know,” There was a pause. “She can’t. She can’t ever know.”

My stomach rolled and I felt the contents of my dinner threaten to spill (FYI, in case you were wondering, the aftertaste of Ravioli is disgusting!) I stared at the computer as if I could actually see my grandparents in front of me. I knew that Grandpa Joe would be sitting on the edge of the couch and then he would pull my grandmother into his arms. If I had been there with them, they would have enveloped me in their embrace too. But I wasn’t. Instead, I was invading their privacy and I knew that they would be very disappointed in me if they ever found out.

“ _What_ can’t you know?” Charlie asked as if I knew the answer to that question.

But here’s the thing about not knowing something that everyone else knows, it sucks. I don’t have the answer to these questions. I don’t have the slightest clue or where to even begin to look. Being out of the loop is a spy’s greatest fear. Its also a teenage girl’s worst nightmare.

And then Grandpa Joe said something that sent a chill down my spine.

“Zach might not come home, Rachel. And I can’t protect her from that. No matter how hard I want to.”

***

There are things that we do in the Gallagher Academy that would never be acceptable in the real world. For example, sparring with the maintenance staff who is three times our size. Or going over infiltration techniques. Or practicing how to lie effectively without getting caught. (If you manage to pull one over for school assignments with the right professor, you can get extra credit… seriously!)

Lying is part of the gig. Lying can be the difference between life and death. Literally.

Walking into the sublevels that Monday felt different. (And not because of the note on our door that said Sophomores were required to trade our skirts and knee socks for jeans and sneakers) But, because I was carrying a secret that I wasn’t supposed to know. I had tucked this new knowledge into the pocket of my heart, and I didn’t dare let anyone know that I had it. I couldn’t. And a part of me ached for my father.

My father who might not be coming home.

Grandpa Joe was early, leaning against the desk at the front of the room as each of the sophomore class filed in one by one. His slacks were neatly pressed and the white shirt he wore didn’t have so much as a wrinkle. I knew what that meant. It meant business. And I made extra effort not to meet his gaze, scared that he would be able to read my transgressions on my face.

Without a word, Grandpa Joe got up and walked around the room. Something landed in my lap and I knew better than to flinch. I reached out to touch the foreign object and felt a familiar material. Without asking, I felt for the tag and slipped the sweatshirt over my head.

“When an operative is in deep cover, they are given false histories which usually include names, dates of birth, and childhood pets. These are called---” Grandpa was promptly cut off.

“Legends!” Willow exclaimed eagerly.

A part of me knew that this CoveOps lesson was important. Don’t get me wrong, _all_ of my CoveOps lessons were, except there was something different about this one.

“That’s right. Legends are almost as—if not more---important than being a part of a team, ladies. Legends are what make you and I, operatives. You need to know your legends inside and out, perhaps even better than you know yourself.” Grandpa Joe leaned forward, seeming to stare right through us. “Because in the split second that it takes you to recall something your cover legend might know, is a split second that the bad guys have now gained to over-power you. A split second is all it takes. A split second and you and your team are as good as dead.”

A chill went through me at the weight of his words. Had my father been through that? No. I refused to think that he got made. He was much too good of a spy to get tripped up on his own cover legend. Then again… accidents do happen. Even to spies. After all, we’re only human. And that thought sent a chill down my spine, settling into the pit of my stomach like a weight.

“And what better way to cement that into your brains than making you experience one of those situations firsthand?” Grandpa Joe said.

And then the lights went off.

And I was being pulled out of my seat.

And my entire world went black as a rag was pulled over my face and I went unconscious.

***

If I had been paying attention, I would have noticed some of my teachers in the back of the room. But I hadn’t been. Which was something that Grandpa Joe had been counting on.

When I woke up, I was sitting upright with something covering my eyes. There was a stale smell that filled my nose, almost like wherever I was hadn’t been cleaned in who knows how long. I shifted my weight and felt hard floor beneath my feet. At least with something over my eyes, my other senses were heightened.

“Nice of you to join us, miss Goode.” A voice sounded to my left.

No. Not my left. Inside of my ear.

“Comms?” I said to no one in particular.

“Very good,” The voice said.

I could feel a slight rocking all around me and filed away the fact that I was in a vehicle of some sort. I tried to slow my heart. I had to think clearly. I knew to count the minuets and note any kind of stop or turn, something my parents had taught me. Even the slightest tell of my new destination could be found in whatever direction I was headed. The slightest tell—a simple right or left--could help me greatly, because time was a spy’s greatest weapon. But it could also be their greatest weakness.

There was another voice that sounded right in front of me. “Mads?”

“Right here, Nova.” I said, using Kate’s code name.

“Any idea where we are?” A voice asked. (Taylor Fetterman to be exact)

Nobody answered because they didn’t know. I took a deep breath, trying not to cough as the fresh air hit my lungs. (Whatever those rags had been dowsed in, would most likely leave my system in the following hours… or it could linger. Knowing my grandfather, anything’s possible!) I knew better than to try and take off my blindfold. If the girls were here, that meant that this was probably a school trip. A training op.

“Ladies, stop the chit chat.” Grandpa Joe had said. I knew that voice as well as my own. “How long have we been moving, Bauer?”

“Ten minutes and fifty-three seconds,” Jenny Bauer said matter of fact. I knew her calculations were off but, I certainly wasn’t going to fix them.

“Is she wrong, Goode?” My grandfather asked and I felt my cheeks burn. I hated being the center of attention, even though I knew I was right.

“Nine minuets and thirty-six seconds,” I corrected.

“That’s right.” I knew Grandpa Joe would have smiled if I could see him. “Each of you are wearing what we call Comms and five of you are wearing something different.” And that was when I realized I was wearing a necklace—something that I hadn’t been wearing before this. “These are for our benefit not yours. Cameras. To see how well you are doing but, to also see if one of you---and you will---slip up. But, for each of your sakes, Ladies, I hope you don’t.”

I swallowed hard. I could do this. It was a basic op. A basic mission. It was probably nothing special. I had been training for this exercise since I was in diapers. And I had once tried to infiltrate a parent teacher meeting between my mom and preschool teacher when I was four. (I snuck in the back of her car, no big deal) This was what I was here for, what I was training for.

So why did it feel like there was a catch?

“What’s our objective?” Charlie asked and I could practically feel the itch under her skin to get started.

“There’s vital information out there tonight, ladies. A file. What is on this file doesn’t matter and under no circumstance are you to look at this file. Things are classified for a reason and to protect your covers, I suggest you take that to heart.” I could feel Grandpa Joe staring at us from wherever he was. “But your objective tonight is to retrieve this file and bring it home.”

I couldn’t help it, I smirked. This was child’s play. This was going to be easy. A simple blackbag op: secret entry into a home, office, or other space to steal or copy materials.

“Is something funny, Goode?” Grandpa asked me and I shook my head, knowing he could see me.

“No, sir. We’re completing a blackbag op, right?” I asked, pulling the term from a page in _Espionage for Amateurs: Volume One._

“Not quite. Remember what I said in class, ladies. Notice things. Because I did not make this easy and the faster you realize that, the quicker you’ll get to your destination.”

Before I could ask my grandfather what the destination was, we stopped moving. And one by one, we were able to remove the blindfolds from our eyes. I blinked mine open, looking around to get a feel of my current surroundings. Half of my classmates were stuffed into this vehicle with me and I knew somewhere out there that there was another vehicle. A shiver went down my spine.

“Sir?” I looked around and saw Willow staring at the back doors of the van. “I thought we weren’t allowed off the grounds?”

I knew she was right. My grandmother had stood at the pulpit in front of the entire school and told us that fieldtrips out of grounds were prohibited. And if anyone broke the rules, there would be consequences. So, where were we?

There was silence on our comms. I started to wonder if my grandfather hadn’t heard her before another voice spoke.

“Since when do Gallagher Girls—much less those with friendly ties to the Morgan-Goode clan---care about venturing off grounds, Miss Evans?” My uncle Townsend asked.

They didn’t.

And with that, I leaned forward and threw open the doors of the van.

And I was hit with the smell of funnel cake.

“Roseville?” Mikayla Greer asked, her blue eyes wide with shock.

“In all of its glory, Miss Greer.” My grandfather said. “If I were you, ladies, I would get moving. You have till midnight and I expect you to be back here by then—not a second later—with that file in hand. Tonight, you are normal girls enjoying a night on the town after school. And one more thing,” I could feel each of the girls lean forward, not wanting to miss a single word. “I expect you to be tail free.”

And with that, we jumped out of the van and went to work.

But, that weird feeling in my stomach was still there. And I knew that someone was going to be tracking us. And I had no idea who could be on our tail. Because if I knew my grandfather half as good as I thought I did, they were trained, they were good, and they would know a Gallagher Girl when they saw one as soon as we stepped foot in the Roseville square.

Noises of the night sounded all around us and I could see dozens of people from my spot by the van. There was music, there was the smell of food, and there were at least a dozen spies-in-training about to infiltrate the small town of Roseville. And none of the town’s residents had a clue.

This was going to be interesting.


	6. Chapter Six

“Lola? It’s probably not the best idea to be sitting out in the open like that,” I said, passing by Willow on my way to a hot dog stand.

“Oh, right!” Willow exclaimed, getting up from her spot on the library steps.

My mom was a pavement artist like my grandfather. I was following in her footsteps by being one myself. There was comfort in hiding in plain sight. Besides, you can use being average to your advantage.

When I was hungry, I bought a hot dog. I paid in cash, told the man to keep the change. Nothing out of the ordinary by a teenager with a growling stomach. And I was constantly checking my tail.

After I finished my snack, I followed behind a group of old ladies. They were chattering eagerly about a poker game that was supposed to be happening at someone’s house. They walked slow which wasn’t a problem for me till one decided to stumble up a curb and I—out of reflex—grabbed her elbow to help her.

“Thank you, dear!” She exclaimed, looking at me from over her glasses. “Say, do I know you from somewhere?”

Before I could speak, one of the other ladies beat me to the punch.

“You sure do, Ruth! That’s Trish Lopez’s girl!” She exclaimed, squinting at me.

Okay, I was definitely _not_ Trish Lopez’s daughter. But I couldn’t exactly explain that to her. So, I smiled and asked how she was, before swiftly excusing myself to go to the bathroom. And then I dashed in the opposite direction down the street, away from the group of greying ladies.

“Very good, Miss Goode. But, next time, groups provide excellent cover.” Grandpa reminded me and I tried not to flinch.

I bit my lip, wandering down the street. Willow was over by the band, nodding her head to the beat as she walked behind them. I knew without looking, that Kate was just behind me and that she had managed to trip into a man carrying a tray of nachos because she said a really bad word in Farsi. And Charlie was… Well Charlie was doing what she does best.

I rolled my eyes as she ran her fingers through her chopped hair and let out an obnoxious laugh. Only Charlotte Anderson would get distracted by a group of teenage boys. And then I heard her voice through the comms. “Oh, you have to meet my friend! She’s over there by that guy in a rather _toasty_ jacket.”

I felt a pit in my stomach at Charlie’s words, picking up on what she said. _Toasty_. I had a tail.

I took a deep breath and wandered past the Abram’s and Son Pharmacy, making my way to the gazebo in the center of town. I couldn’t explain it. There was something in my gut that made me walk towards it. But I knew what I had to do. I couldn’t go to my rendezvous point with someone following me.

“Hey, Leo, you’ve got a shadow.” Kate said in my ear.

“Rotate,” I said, filing in behind a mom with a baby.

I glanced over into one of the shop windows and looked, watching the---

Before I knew what was happening, someone was spilling a soda all over my shirt.

“I am so sorry!” A voice said.

I gasped, feeling the sticky liquid soak my oversized sweatshirt. And I looked up and into a pair of light eyes. Hazel. And bright blonde hair. My stomach did a somersault. Here I was, in the middle of a mission, with my entire sophomore class present, and I was staring into the eyes of a boy. A very cute boy.

“You okay? I’m really sorry about the drink,” He apologized, pulling out a wad of napkins from his pocket. “I should’ve been watching where I was going but, I really didn’t see you there.”

I should’ve taken the compliment even though most girls would have been offended but, I was stunned. There was a boy talking to me. He was wearing jeans and an open sweatshirt over a plain white t shirt. How could someone look so relaxed…

Now I know what you’re thinking. Its just a boy, my male counterpart. (Well, kind of) But, let me remind you that I am an only child. And I go to an _all_ girl’s school, save for a few male faculty and maintenance crew. No boys. No _teenage_ boys. I’ve seen the movies. I know how this works. I know I’m supposed to say something witty or flip my hair all cute. But I did none of those things.

Instead, I blurted out the only thing I could think of.

And I instantly regretted it.

“Your eyes are so pretty,”

My cheeks grew hot and I immediately forgot that I was on a mission. That I was here with my classmates. That I was on comms and my teachers could hear every bit of this conversation. That I wasn’t a spy in training or a walking legend. I was just a girl. And I was very aware that I was venturing into unknown territory. Territory with testosterone.

“Thanks.” Soda Boy said with a smile. And I catalogued the dimples in his cheeks. “You from around here? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before.”

“I’m… I’m here with some friends. Out of town.” I blurted.

“Mads he’s cute!” I heard in my ear and I cleared my throat, hearing Charlie as clearly as my own voice.

“Lucky. Roseville doesn’t get that many visitors.”

I shrugged and managed to look away from his gaze to see Willow disappear around a corner. And that was enough for me to snap out of it. I could almost feel the disappointment radiating from Grandpa Joe as he watched this exchange. My cheeks grew hot again. My grandfather was watching my first interaction with a boy.

“Sorry, but I have to go… my… grandpa is waiting for me back at home.” I took a step back, my heart pounding against my ribs.

His eyes sparkled (yes actual sparklage) as he reached for my arm. “You aren’t going to give me a name?”

He was asking for my name. I wanted to tell him that I had several--- after all I was supposed to be a normal girl tonight. Not a girl on a mission. Not Madison Goode. But I hadn’t expected to run into a complication. A complication with a smile that could melt ice cream. His grip was loose, and I knew I could’ve totally broken his wrist if I wanted to but, I didn’t.

“I really have to…” I shrugged off his grip and shook my head. “Just… have a good night.” Soda Boy wasn’t taking no for an answer…

“What’s your name?” He asked quickly, offering his hand. I stared at him until he shoved his hands into his pockets.

“I’m late for… for…”

I couldn’t come up with an answer because my comms unit had just gone to static. And I felt like I was going to be sick.

“Your grandparents.” He finished for me. “Cool necklace,” He said, pointing to the cross necklace around my throat.

I nodded and took another step back.

“Well, what if I walked you home?” He said quickly and the ghost of a smile tugged at my lips. “It’ll give me a piece of mind.”

I shook my head. “See you around,” I said, before turning on my heel and walking towards the gazebo. I didn’t need protection and little Taylor Fetterman could’ve probably fared better than him but, the offer had been sweet.

He called after me but, I ignored him, giving him a wave instead. My internal clock said that I only had six minutes till midnight. And for the first time since I ran into Soda Boy, I had no idea where my team was. And that was beyond bad.

I wandered towards the gazebo and looked around. My grandfather’s voice came back to me. _Notice things._ I scanned the stones around the gazebo, knowing as well as I knew my last name, that the file was here. Somewhere in this gazebo, I was about to complete my first Op.

I spotted a loose stone that looked different than the rest----as though it had been turned around.

I crouched down and tugged the stone from its place among the others and reached my hand forward. There, folded inside, was a note. I pulled it out and read its contents.

_Sometimes information is best left buried._

And that was all I needed. I back tracked towards the steps of the gazebo and crouched down to look beneath. In the dirt underneath the wood, was a manila file hidden in plain sight.

I grabbed the file and stood up. I paused, actually listening to the static this time. “Alpha team?” Nothing. “Beta team?” Silence. “Ace? Nova?” Charlie and Kate didn’t answer. And Grandpa Joe’s voice was no longer in my ear.

I backtracked, going to the place where it all started. There wasn’t a van in sight. And neither was my team.

I took a deep breath and started my long walk back home.

Only I wasn’t alone because my thoughts were filled with a certain Soda Boy with blond hair.

***

The walk back home did nothing to clear my head. My thoughts were jumbled, and my feet were aching, and I knew deep down, that I had messed up.

How bad though, I wasn’t sure.

As I ventured up the drive to get to school, I spotted the van parked in front of the building. I walked forward and decided to just get it over. I was expecting my team. I was expecting Grandpa Joe to pat my shoulder for a job well done.

After all, I had retrieved the file. I hadn’t looked at it. And I had gotten it tail free. I had completed my mission. So where was everyone?

The halls were empty, and nobody was in sight. Something was wrong. I carried the file forward, venturing into the elevator that would take me to the sublevels.

I held my breath, a sick feeling settling in the pit of my stomach again. I made my way to the classroom and walked inside. I held the file up. “I have it,”

The girls were sitting straight forward in their chairs and my grandfather was nowhere in sight. Confused, I walked towards his desk and set down the manila file. Nobody said a word. And then the lights went out.

“How nice of you to join us, Madison.”

Grandpa Joe was leaning against the wall, arms folded. His expression was blank as he held out his hand. I unclasped the necklace from around my neck and placed it in his open palm. He took it and unclipped it. It was a flash drive. Confused, I watched as he placed it into a computer. It lit up the screen in front of me.

Before I could speak, images lit up the screen. Images from a very well-placed team, a team we had no idea was even following us. I saw myself handing money to the hot dog vendor. Charlie, running her hand through her hair as she’s surrounded by boys. Jenny Bauer was climbing the steps of the library. Taylor Fetterman was ducking behind a building, taking to the shadows. Willow sitting on the library steps. Mikayla Greer, searching through the trash. And then me, standing out in the open.

My classmates were quiet. Nobody dared to speak. I thought about the last time my grandfather had showed us photos like these. Instead of me and my team, it had been my mother and hers.

My grandfather pressed a button on the computer in the middle of his desk and something started to play, and the screen changed.

An image filled the screen, only it wasn’t an image. In bold letters it said LIVE across the top. And I felt my stomach lurch.

“We’re missing a couple of your classmates, aren’t we, Madison?” My grandfather asked slowly.

And that was when I realized that Charlie, Willow, and Kate were missing.

An earsplitting scream echoed through the room. I jumped to my feet, spinning around, looking for the source. Except, it was coming from the laptop. Another defining scream sounded and it was my name.

“Maddie, please! Help me!”

“Willow?” Her name was barely a whisper on my lips.

“No! Stop! I’m so sorry! I won’t do it again! Don’t hurt her!”

Charlie.

I lunged toward the computer. A part of me knew this wasn’t real but, it sure sounded like it. My team was being tortured. My best friends were hurt because of me. And there was nothing that I could do about it.

Grandpa Joe spoke slowly. “Your team is your lifeline on these ops. You abandoned your team tonight, Miss Goode. They needed you and you were nowhere to be found.” I took a step back and shook my head. “Willow is the easy target. They’ll go through her first, make her bleed. And then its Kate’s turn. And Kate is strong but, she isn’t strong enough.” Grandpa Joe leaned forward. “She will break. And because she breaks so easily, they know she isn’t worth much. So, they’ll start on Charlie.”

“Stop.” I said, shaking my head.

“Charlie knows her friends are getting tortured.” Another earth-shattering scream. “She knows that they’re hurting and there is nothing that she can do about it. So, she screams too. Screams in pain. In frustration. In anger. In sadness. And she won’t… stop… screaming.”

“Turn it off!” I shout, throwing my hands over my ears.

“No! You abandoned your team tonight, Madison! You left them alone out there! Because you got cocky! You got distracted! And distracted spies get their team and partners killed!”

I dropped to my knees, tears threatening to spill to the floor. No. This wasn’t real. I knew I messed up. I knew I cost the op. But they were also smart enough not to get caught, right?

“Your team was made tonight, Madison. And you were too busy with another asset.” My grandfather walked to the closet in the back of the room. “You cannot afford to be sloppy. Sloppy is murder. They needed you and you weren’t there.”

The closet door opened, and I watched as my best friend’s came out. Charlie. Willow. And Kate. They were okay. They were safe. It wasn’t real.

“This might not have been real, Madison. But, if you slip up again, it very well could be.”


	7. Chapter Seven

Grandpa Joe dismissed us without another word. The look on his face was one I never thought I would see. Charlie, Willow, and Kate followed me back to our suite. The walk felt more like one of shame. You know when you scold a dog and it runs away with its tail between its legs and its head down? Yeah. That was me. Except worse.

My feet hurt. My stomach felt sick. And my heart felt as though it was going to burst out of my chest like a cartoon.

When we made it back to our rooms, I tore off the sweatshirt. I kicked off my shoes and flopped down on my bed. Grabbing my pillow, I placed it over my face. Maybe if nobody saw me, we could just forget that this night had even happened. 

“Oh, come on, Mads. It wasn’t that bad.” Charlie said, reaching to pull the pillow from my face.

I sat up. “You’re right. It wasn’t _that_ bad. It was _worse_.” I spat, my stomach heaving. I could still hear the automated screams of my best friend’s in my ears. I didn’t think I could ever forget them. 

“It was only your first Op. You’ll get a do over and you’ll ace it!” Kate exclaimed. “You are the top of the class after all.”

I stared at them. Did they not understand that if this had been real, they could have died? Did they not care about that part? Did that little detail go in one ear and out the other? This was more than a training Op. It was going to be our lives and we couldn’t afford to mess up. 

I was about to bring those facts to light, when Charlie asked me something I hadn’t thought about.

“What was his name anyway?” Charlie asked. And my cheeks burned. I had totally forgot about Soda Boy. 

And then I realized I never got one. The boy was nameless. He was important enough to cost me my first Op but wasn’t important enough to give me a name. And I hadn’t even bothered to ask him for it. I was surprised by how much that realization seemed to bother me. 

“I don’t know.” I answered honestly. Charlie stared at me. If she expected me to change my answer, she was out of luck.

“Come again?” Charlie asked slowly, making me roll my eyes.

“I didn’t get a name, Char.” 

She moved over to sit down on my bed, not caring that she was sitting straight on my legs. (Fun fact: Charlie has the boniest butt ever!) She leaned in close and stared at me. She must have believed me because she sat back on the mattress instead of my legs. I sighed in relief.

I looked up and met Kate’s gaze as a smile spread out over her face. “Well, this might have been your first _official_ Op but, what if we conducted one ourselves?”

I was confused for a split second but, the look on Kate’s face shocked me out of it. I shook my head immediately. “Absolutely not. Whoever this kid was, he is long gone and probably won’t even remember who I am in the morning. We _cannot_ drag him into the Spy Life.”

“Who said anything about _dragging_ him into it?” She shrugged, insinuating that he would willingly walk through fire for me.

“You guys… no. We cannot risk this boy’s identity and get him involved with us.” I looked down. “Especially with me. And my mom.”

As fun as this seemed, I knew there were more pressing matters to deal with. And if my mother caught wind that I was slacking on my studies or that I was distracted—especially at a time as precarious as this one, with a boy no less---I could kiss my Gallagher Girl status goodbye. 

And my dad…

If my mom dropped everything to deal with me, that meant abandoning dad in his time of need. And I couldn’t let her do that. Not in a million years. Dad was way more important than me dealing with a boy who didn’t even have a name.

The more I thought about it, the worse it seemed to get. So what if this boy had been interested in me? (At least… it had seemed that way) The chances of me seeing him again were slim to none. (I could ask Kate for a more accurate estimate but that seemed pointless) I couldn’t risk me, my family, or my friends because I had thought Soda Boy was cute. There are times in a spy’s life where we must forget and move on. This was one of those times.

I was about to remind them of that fact when there was a knock on the door. I didn’t need to look at my watch to know that whoever was at the door, was up past bedtime. I hopped off the bed and went to answer the door. I glanced back at my roommates before pulling it open.

“Madison. Come with me right now.” My grandmother was standing at the door in jeans and a ratty sweatshirt. She didn’t bother to wait for an answer when there was a shrill sound.

“CODE BLACK. CODE BLACK. CODE BLACK.”

I shrank back but did as I was told. Immediately girls were in the hallways, looking much like the chickens back at Great Grandma Morgan’s farm in Nevada. Sirens blared all around us as the teachers guided girls left and right. The lights were dimmed, making it rather difficult to see. But that was the last thing on my mind.

I made my way through the halls, following my grandmother, my friends behind me. Grandma Rachel shut the door behind us and sitting on the loveseat in the middle of the room, was my grandfather and Uncle Townsend. They were pictures of ease. No sign of worry or stress evident on their features. But that was until I realized that they were staring at _me_ … As if this were _my_ fault.

“Have a seat, ladies,” My grandfather said.

We did as we were told. Again. My grandmother sat down in her chair across from the desk, while me and my roommates sat across from her. I knew something was wrong but, it was hard to ignore the fact that the school was on complete lock down.

Code Blacks were not common. They were practically unheard of. I had never experienced one before tonight and that was perhaps the scariest thought of all. A code black only happened when something or _someone_ was trying to get onto the grounds. There were several safety measures that led up to the school and the fact that whatever---or _whoever_ \---had triggered this alarm… That meant they had tried to get _inside_ the mansion.

And that made my stomach lurch.

“Your mother called just before this ordeal, wondering if you had changed your mind about studying at home. And because of recent developments, I have talked to your mother and we have decided that it would be in your best interest to stay here.” She started and I didn’t miss the key phrase, _recent developments_.

My grandmother leaned forward. “That being said, your mother isn’t coming home yet, Madison. She’s… caught up in work at the moment.” 

I felt my breath hitch in my throat. That could mean any number of things. Mom could be Burned which means trouble. Being Burned means that your cover has been blown. Had the same thing happened to my dad? Does that mean my mom had found him and in return, she was in trouble too? That is, if he’s _actually_ in trouble. My stomach felt sick again. 

I didn’t miss the looks that my roommates gave me. Willow was staring at my Grandma Morgan like she was hiding something. Charlie was giving me looks but, trying to make it seem as though she was just really interested in the wallpaper behind my head. And once I caught Kate’s eye, she ducked her head, looking at her hands. I knew they were worried for me.

“Everything is going to be fine, Madison.” 

I looked up at my uncle Townsend. He said it so convincingly that I wanted to believe him but, my heart wouldn’t let me. I wanted to believe that they were lying to me for a reason. I wanted to believe that my mom could handle this alone. I wanted to believe that my dad was okay. But I wasn’t stupid. I knew what this meant. And I really wish I didn’t.

“So, what was up with the Code Black?” Charlie asked, changing the subject. (I would have to thank her for that later)

My grandmother sighed and glanced at my grandfather. “Everything is under control, girls. There’s no need for you to worry. One of the maintenance staff members accidentally tripped it. It wasn’t a big deal.”

I stared at my grandmother. My headmistress. She was one of the greatest spies I had the privilege of knowing. And one of the best liars I’ve ever met. I wanted to say that it seemed like a big deal when she was flying toward us in the hallway, but I didn’t. I knew there was a reason for the lie. I just didn’t know it was going to hurt.

There was silence between all of us as those words hung in the air. The words of a lie. They were nothing but a story that the grown-ups in my life had fabricated to keep me “safe”. They didn’t realize that I wasn’t a kid anymore. They didn’t understand that I could handle whatever they threw at me. Despite popular belief, I could. I really could. 

But, Charlie wasn’t one to take no for an answer. 

“A staff member that’s a part of the maintenance crew at the Gallagher Academy For Exceptional Young Women, AKA a school for _spies_ in training, tripped the Code Black alarm.” She said in a single breath, her arms crossed over her chest. 

At least I wasn’t the only one who heard the story for what it actually was—a lie.

“Yes, that is correct, Charlotte.” My grandmother said without missing a beat.

Charlie grinned. (Yes, actual grinnage!) “Cool.” She said, in the manner of someone who thought the exact opposite.

My grandmother stared at each of us in turn. “I do believe that it is getting close to midnight, girls. You should get going to bed so you are ready for your classes in the morning. Wouldn’t want to miss out or slip up again.”

I looked away from her gaze. Ouch. She might as well have said ‘get out’. Without another word, each of us stood up and exited the office. I felt like we were making a habit of meeting in this room and that was something even _I_ didn’t like. When the door shut behind us, it sounded a lot lighter than it was, isolating us in our own home. 

I was going to figure out exactly what they were keeping from me. Every secret was going to come to light, whether they wanted it to or not. I was going to figure this out. Isn’t that what being a spy was all about? Uncovering secrets? Going on missions to find out the truth?  
It was in my blood. I was part of the Morgan family after all. They might as well have thrown me a bone. I was going to do this, and I was going to bring my parents’ home—both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first original Next-Gen work! I hope you enjoy! Feedback of any kind is always appreciated.  
> I don't own any characters from Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series, however, all original character's are 100% my own.


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